Fans continue to support Atlanta Motor Speedway

HAMTPON – Kyle Krebs swore he wouldn’t give Speedway Motorsports anymore of his money after the company stripped one of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s two NASCAR race dates last year.

But Sunday, Krebs was where he has been for years: inside the first turn at the Hampton track getting ready to watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500.

“This track had two races for 50 years, and they just took one when they could’ve taken it from somewhere else,” Krebs said. “I sold my camper, said ‘No more.’ And here I am.”

The pull of friends and fast cars proved too much for Krebs and several other fans this weekend. Many detested that the Speedway Motorsports-owned speedway lost one of its two signature events, but they came to support the track and see each other.

Kres and other veterans of the track’s infield have built relationships with their camping neighbors and watched their children grow up around race weekends. Now, they only get one race a year to see each other.

J. Plush of Woodstock understands why Atlanta Motor Speedway lost one of its races. Crowds had dwindled at both events in recent years. Weather concerns for the races in March and October kept many fans away.

With just one race for fans to support, the crowd was a little better, Plush said. Ticket sales finished ahead of either race last year, speedway Marketing Director Marcy Scott said, although the race was not sold out.

“The time of year is better, too,” Plush said. “Now, you get more people for the one race.

“We’re here for the fun. We’ll worry about the money later.”

Plush and his son-in-law, Ryan Klewein, grilled ribs and smoked brisket under a Georgia Bulldog pop-up tent. Next to them, Carol Rhea and her crew mixed some drinks under a Tennessee Volunteer tent.

Rhea has been coming from Knoxville, Tenn., to the Atlanta races for more than 20 years, although she has threatened not to come before. The cost of tickets, the camping spot, gas and food is nearly too much to handle.

“It seems like the prices go up every year, which really hurts us diehard fans,” she said. “That’s why the crowds were down.”

Rhea then said this would be her last year. Then she backed off her proclamation.

“These races are like an addiction,” she said. “It’s all about fellowship.”

Rhea shared camping space with an old Chevrolet school bus that was painted like Dale Earnhardt’s car. Doug VanArsdale of Newnan emerged and pointed out that the bus was not his.

The bus belonged to his friend, Russell, who was set to come to Hampton but spent the weekend in an Atlanta hospital after having emergency surgery, VanArsdale explained. The group decided to get a T-shirt and collect signatures from drivers and friends to give to their friend.

By 3 p.m. Sunday, as campers covered the infield, signatures covered the shirt.

“Even though he’s in intensive care, this is a way we can share NASCAR with him,” VanArsdale said.

“You have all these great friends here that you only get to see once a year,” he added. “That’s what this weekend is all about.”